Sugar washing machine



Aug. 10, 1937.

V. V. LONG SUGAR WASHING MACHINE Filed May 15, 1955 LLlllll 2 Sheets-Sheet l Verve 114 any INVENTOR ATTORNEY Aug. 10, 1937. v. v. LONG 2,089,906

SUGAR WASHING MACHINE Eiled May 15. 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 l I l I I l I l I ATTORNEY Patented Aug. 10, 1937 UNlTED TES Fiji

T FIQE 2 Claims.

My invention relates to improvements in sugar washing machines for extracting the syrup from massecuite and of the type exemplified in United States Patent No. 1,439,676 dated December 19,

By way of explanation, the machine of the above designated patent includes a rotatable separator in the form of a basket against the sides of which massecuite is thrown by centrifugal force to form a wall of such material in the basket, and mechanism for ejecting water under pressure against the massecuite in spray form and including an oscillating distributing pipe and mechanism for oscillating the same vertically to direct the spray up and down against the massecuite. The means for oscillating the distributing pipe is designed to effect a dwell at the end of the up and down strokes of said pipe to prolong the spraying at the top and bottom of said wall.

Given certain types of massecuite, the prolongation of the spraying operation has been found to be objectionable for the reason that it washes away too much of the sugar crystals at the top and bottom of the wall, results in the use of an unnecessary quantity of water, and renders the washing operation unnecessarily slow.

Having the foregoing in mind, the principal object of my invention is to provide a simple inexpensive means for oscillating the distributing pipe of said machine with a substantially continuous motion, practically eliminating the dwell at the end of the up and down strokes thereof.

Another object is to prevent waste of the sugar crystals in the washing operation to expedite said operation and to economize in the use of water.

Another object is to provide a means for the above specified purposes which may be readily incorporated in the type of machine designated and without material alteration in the organization of said machine.

In said drawings:

Figure 1 is a view in vertical section of parts of a sugar washing machine of the type disclosed by the aforesaid patent and equipped according to my invention.

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the oscillating mechanism casing with a portion broken away line 2--2 of Figure 1 and drawn to an enlarged scale.

Figure 3 is a View in transverse section taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 2 looking in the direction indicated by the arrows and Figure 4 is a perspective view of a cam forming part of my invention.

Referring to the drawings, the machine with which my invention is particularly concerned comprises, generally speaking, an open top housing having adjacent its upper end an interior lateral flange 2, a cylindrical foraminous basket 3 rotatably mounted in said housing I, and in- 5 eluding a bottom wall fl and an inwardly and upwardly extending flange 5 at its upper end, the basket being rotated by a vertical shaft 6 disposed axially thereof and driven by means not important to the present disclosure and therefore 0 not shown.

Projecting into the top of the basket is a distributing pipe 7 provided with a nozzle 8 and fast on a rock shaft 9 projecting from a casing IE! secured to the flange 2. The casing ll] encloses 15 valve mechanism, not shown, to which water is fed by a supply pipe H and to which the distributing pipe 7 is connected by flexible pipe l2. For the details of the valve mechanism, reference may be had to the previously noted patent. The 0 means for oscillating the distributing pipe 7 need not be disclosed in detail herein. Suffice it to explain that it comprises a shaft l3 journaled in said casing iii, a drive between said shaft and the shaft 6 including belt l6 and pulleys I5, a worm 25 member I6 on the shaft I3 and meshing with a worm gear M fast on shaft l8, and a rock arm l9 fast on the shaft 9 and carrying a roller 20.

According to my invention a double cam member 2| is secured to said shaft 8 and worm gear 30 for cooperation with the roller 20 and rock arm H3. The cam 2| comprises opposed heartshaped portions 2| diametrically opposed high points 22 and correspondingly related low points 23, the arrangement being such that the rock arm 35 I9, and shaft 9 are oscillated to impart up and down strokes to said pipe 1 at each half revolution of said cam member 2|. The high points 22 and likewise the low points 23 are sharply angled so that the oscillating movement of said pipe is 40 substantially continuous and the change in the direction of the strokes of said pipe is effected without retarded movement thereof.

The cam 2| produces two oscillations of the nozzle per single rotation of the cam shaft. The 45 obviation of dwell at the upper and lower extremities of the travel of the nozzle is due to the fact that there are no sections of the operating surface of the cam which are curved as a segment of a circle having its center at the axis of the cam 50 shaft.

For securing the cam member 2| to the worm gear I! the former is provided with laterally projecting studs 24 having threaded bores 25 therein and said gear I! is provided with threaded aper- 55 tures 26. Screw bolts 2'! passing through said bores 25 and threaded into said aperture 26 retain the cam member 2| in position. The usual key 28 secures the cam to the shaft l8.

Obviously, since both the up and down strokes of said distributing arm are effected in a half revolution of the cam shaft I8, the desired speed of oscillation of the pipe 7 may be obtained by a relatively low speed drive of the shaft [8, thereby reducing wear between the parts of said drive and prolonging the life of the machine.

What I claim is:

1. The combination with a centrifugal basket and means to revolve the basket, of nozzle oscil-- nozzle including a cam shaft, and a cam on the shaft having no sections of the operating surface curved as a segment of a circle having its center at the axis of the cam shaft.

2. The combination with a centrifugal basket and means to revolve said basket, of a nozzle oscillatable vertically to spray the wall of the basket from the top to the bottom thereof, and a cam for oscillating the nozzle without pause at the extremities of the travel of the nozzle, said cam producing two oscillations of the nozzle per single rotation of the cam, said cam having opposed approximately heart shaped portions no section of the operating surface of which is curved as a segment of a circle having a center at the axis of rotation of the cam.

' VERNE V. LONG. 

